By Neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D.
Web Site: http://www.russellblaylockmd.com27 February 2005
Over 460,000 people per year are now dying of a disorder called of sudden
cardiac death according to CDC statistics. This is a condition striking
otherwise healthy people, who have experienced no obvious symptoms of heart
disease prior to their deaths. An alarming number of these deaths are occurring
in young athletes, both in high schools, colleges, as well as among professional
athletes.While cardiologists have found coronary disease and suspect previous scars
from silent heart attacks in a number of these individuals, one mechanism is
getting no attention at all, and that is excitotoxic damage caused by food
additives and the artificial sweetener aspartame. This is despite growing
evidence that the excitotoxic mechanism plays a major role in cardiac disease.
Previously, it was thought that excitotoxin food additives, such as monosodium
glutamate and aspartic acid in aspartame, cause their damage in the
cardiovascular centers in the brain stem and/or by over stimulating sympathetic
centers in the hypothalamus of the brain. Both of these mechanisms have been
shown to result in sudden cardiac death in experimental animals. A particular
deadly combination occurs in young athletes, which includes low magnesium
intake, high calcium intake, low intake of omgea-3 fatty acids and excitotoxin
food additives. Strenuous exercise- especially in extreme heat is known to
deplete the body’s magnesium stores, as is consumption of carbonated drinks and
taking calcium supplements. In addition, adrenalin secretion, increased during
exercise, increases heart muscle irritability and magnesium loss as well.When calcium supplements are taken in the face of existing magnesium
deficiency, both magnesium and calcium is driven into the bones, resulting in a
sudden magnesium depletion crisis. Low magnesium is known to produce both
seizures and cause sudden cardiac arrest. In a classic experiment, it was found
that stressing animals who were magnesium deficient resulted in an almost 100%
mortality from sudden cardiac arrest. Adding magnesium cut mortality
dramatically.A considerable amount of evidence has shown that low omega-3 fat intake
significantly increases the risk and severity of cardiac arrhythmias, the main
cause of sudden cardiac death. Likewise, a number of studies have shown that
Americans are significantly deficient in these protective fats. Finally, recent
research has shown that the brain is not the only tissue having glutamate
receptors. Numerous glutamate receptors have been found within the heart’s
electrical conductions system, as well as heart muscle. When an excess of
food-borne excitotoxins, such as MSG, hydrolyzed protein, soy protein isolate
and concentrate, natural flavoring, sodium caseinate and aspartate from
aspartame, are consumed, these glutamate receptors are over stimulated,
producing cardiac arrhythmias.When magnesium stores are low, as we see in athletes, the glutamate receptors
are so sensitive that even low levels of these excitotoxins can result in
cardiac arrhythmias and death. This is especially so when combined with the
other factors mentioned. Under such condition, free radicals and lipid
peroxidation products build up within the muscle cells, leading to the same
outcome.High consumption of aspartame adds an additional cardiac muscle toxin,
methanol. A number of studies have shown that consuming aspartame and MSG (and
similar excitotoxins) together greatly magnifies the toxicity. Young people live
on junk foods, most of which contain a number of excitotoxin additives. Several
studies have shown that the levels beings consumed by our youth equal those
causing the damage in experimental animals. Humans are 5X more sensitive to
these toxins than any animal.These same factors operate in older individuals as well. Most over age 50
years are depleted of magnesium, have low omega-3 fat intakes, are under stress
and take a number of medications that worsen nutrition, especially magnesium
levels. Because they are more likely to also have coronary artery disease and
other medical conditions, their risk of sudden cardiac death is even higher.Both athletes and those over age 45 years should take magnesium supplements,
antioxidants, omega-3 oils, eat more vegetables and avoid foods and artificial
sweeteners containing excitotoxins such as aspartame and MSG. This will do a lot
more than trying to rescue a person with an external defibrillator after the
fact.USED BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR
Click on photo for purchase information.
Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills (Paperback)
by Russell L. Blaylock
It is almost a cliche in this day and age for someone to ask the waiter at a Chinese restaurant ‘no MSG, please,’ as is the waiter’s knowing smirk in response. MonoSodium Glutamate (MSG), or ‘The essence of taste’ (as coined by the Japanese), is used as a ‘taste-enhancer’ in nearly every form of processed food on the market today, though ‘taste addiction’ may be a more correct term. But what exactly does it do? And how is it harmful?Dr. Russell L. Blaylock answers these questions and poses some startling evidence as to the eventual consequences of a heavy MSG-diet in his book _Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills_. In basic terms, MSG (and other, similar agents) pierces the blood-brain barrier and over-stimulates the neurons of a brain to a deadly degree. Habitual intake among animal experiments has shown the development of tumors, memory loss, and a whole host of neurodegenerative diseases as the end result of excess excitotoxin intake, including Alzhiemer’s, Parkenson’s, Lou Gerhig’s etc.
Walk into any gas station in the United States (or grocery store, for that matter) and, upon close investigation, you will find that 75%-90% of the available food has been ‘enhanced’ to some degree by excitotoxins. The chemical agents are often disguised by such ambiguous terms as ‘spice’ and ‘natural flavors’ or, my personal favorite, ‘hydrolyzed vegetable protein.’ A consumer society must have consumer slaves to keep it functioning; MSG is the crack cocaine of the food industry…and it is legally perpetuated by slush-fund advocates and a pork-glutted FDA. As proven again and again, money talks, … [you can finish the maxim for me].
Blaylock’s thesis is written in a technical style, but the use of repetition throughout each chapter hammer in his myriad points into the reader with precision and power. An important book for anyone concerned with the health of self and family. You are what you eat—but do you know _what_ it is you are eating, below the surface of taste/fulfillment?
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If you or someone you
know
drinks diet soda check out the
Aspartame Victims Support Group
at
http://presidiotex.com/aspartame
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